Sikeston School District budget includes pay increases for teachers and staff

SIKESTON, Mo. -- For the first time in two years, Sikeston School District staff will see an increase in their salaries for the upcoming school year.

The district's school board approved funding three steps on the salary schedule for most support and certified staff. On Tuesday, the board adopted the $31.5 million budget for the new fiscal year, which began Sunday.

Director of business services Lori Boardman outlined the revenue and expenses that will leave the district with a surplus of about $23,000.

The move to fund all three steps on the salary schedule totaled $804,000, which includes salaries and benefits.

The district finished the fiscal year for the 2011-2012 school year over budget in revenue and under budget in expenditures, Boardman said.

On the revenue side, the state formula was funded higher than what was projected, Boardman said. Based on state projections, the district budgeted for the formula to be funded at 90 percent but it wound up paying at 94 percent, which resulted in more than $300,000 more for the district, the business director said.

Also, the district received some unanticipated railroad and utility money that was tied to a past protest from many years ago that was finally settled, and the company had to pay, Boardman said.

On the expenditures side, the district continues to be very frugal, Boardman said.

"All buildings are very conscious of their spending, and we just didn't expend everything that was budgeted for," Boardman said.

No major renovations or technology upgrades are planned, and new textbook series weren't budgeted for the year either, Boardman said.

The district did get back on its bus rotation for the 2012-2013 school year, the business director noted.

"We bought one new bus in 2011-2012. We have budgeted for two buses in 2012-2013. We will buy those late in the year to make sure money is still there," Boardman said.

It was getting very expensive for the district to maintain an older fleet, she said.

Some of the district's buses are old enough now in the rotation that if parts are needed, they sometimes have to be custom-made, Boardman said.

On the revenue side for 2012-2013, the state foundation formula is projected to be funded at 91 to 92 percent; Sikeston has budgeted for the formula to be funded at 91 percent, Boardman said.

Based on early numbers from the county, the overall levy will be the same as in 2011-2012 -- $3.82 with 19 cents for debt services.

The tax levy will be set at an Aug. 23 tax hearing after the district has final numbers on assessed valuation from both New Madrid and Scott counties and complete the state auditor tax rate formula.

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, Mo.